Juvenile Justice Sentencing: Do Gender and Child Welfare Involvement Matter?

• In Event: Disparities in Juvenile Justice Decision-Making

Abstract

Over the last two decades, female cases referred to juvenile court increased significantly. The majority of young women in the juvenile justice system have child welfare involvement and youth with child welfare histories are likely to receive harsher sentences. Because of recent enforcement policies focusing on young women’s more minor offenses, first time female juvenile offenders—particularly those with child welfare histories—may be at risk for overly restrictive sentences. However, little is known about gender differences in sentencing upon initial contact with the juvenile justice system. Using a large administrative sample of first time juvenile offenders in Los Angeles County, this study posed the following questions: (1) Are there gender biases in first time juvenile justice sentencing for similar crimes? (2) Are dual-system involved females treated more harshly compared to females without child welfare histories? Findings suggest the presence of gender biases in formal dismissals and that dual-system involved young men and women were more likely to receive restrictive sentences despite their charges. Given the increased presence of girls in all aspects of the system, it is important to further investigate the reasons behind the gender bias in juvenile justice sentencing.

Authors

• Christina Tam, University of California, Los Angeles

• Laura S. Abrams, University of California, Los Angeles